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Riviera Rumble Delivers Drama, Growing Pains, for T100 and World Triathlon
How training evolves as you age, and how you should actually increase run mileage!
Matthew Sharpe
September 02, 2025
Good morning everyone,
Yesterday I spent Labour Day labouring on the trails of Boulder during a longer run. And it was a beautiful day. The late-summer sun still bringing the heat. But its effects slightly muted - fall isn’t exactly far away.
If you had a long weekend, I hope you had a chance to get out for an extra workout (or two!)
In today’s edition:
🥊 Riviera rumble delivers drama, growing pains, for T100 and World Triathlon
🏋️ How training evolves as you age
🏃 And how you should actually increase running mileage!
-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor
Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.
ONE BIG THING
Riviera Rumble Delivers Drama, Growing Pains, for T100 and World Triathlon
T100
What is it: This past weekend saw the first-ever combined T100 Triathlon World Tour and World Triathlon Championship Series event.
While the pro races featured intriguing and dynamic on-course action, the age group race was decidedly less polished.
Triumphant T100
Women’s race: It’s been just over a year since Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) won her last T100 event. And after a podium drought to start the season, many were wondering if the 5x T100 winner would find the winner’s circle again.
But after a strong swim and a steady bike, Gentle was able to overtake Olympic medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown halfway through the run - and cruise to her first T100 win in 2025.
Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 🥇
Paula Findlay (CAN) 🥈
India Lee (GBR) 🥉
Gentle’s win moves her to fourth overall in the T100 Triathlon World Tour standings, while Julie Derron (SUI) maintains her series lead.
Men’s race: At T100 London, the first race since his devastating car collision, Hayden Wilde (NZ) still managed to best the field and deliver an unbelievable victory.
In the French Riviera, he wanted to show that London was a trend, not a fluke.
He swam well enough and established himself in a front bike pack of five that included Jelle Geens (BEL) and Rico Bogen (GER). But as the bike progressed, he and Bogen would gap the field.
On the run, Wilde would maintain a steady gap to Geens and eased up just before breaking the finishers’ tape. After all, he had another race in just over 24hr…
Hayden Wilde (NZ) 🥇
Jelle Geens (BEL) 🥈
Samuel Dickinson (GBR) 🥉
Wilde’s win moves him into second overall in the T100 Triathlon World Tour standings, while Jelle Geens maintains his series lead.
Whirlwind WTCS
Men’s race: Yes, just over 24hr after winning the T100 race, Hayden Wilde (and the USA’s Morgan Pearson) were lining up with the best short course athletes in the world, attempting the very first T100/World Triathlon race weekend double.
The Sprint distance event saw a blazing-fast swim that allowed pre-race favorites Matt Hauser (AUS) and Vasco Vilaca (POR) to break away on the bike with eight other athletes.
They would enter T2 with a 60-second head start on the chase pack which included Wilde, and Alex Yee (GBR).
And after an epic run battle that saw Vilca almost drop Hauser, the Aussie used his signature kick to take his third WTCS victory of the season. Wilde would run to a respectable 11th-place finish.
Matt Hauser (AUS) 🥇
Vasco Vilaca (POR) 🥈
Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) 🥉
With his win, Hauser strengthens his World Championship Series campaign as he looks to retain the world title at home in Wollongong.
Women’s race: Four WTCS races in 2025 - four different women’s champions. The French Riviera was another round in the World Championship title fight, and the best women truly went the distance.
After a tumultuous swim, a small breakaway group that included pre-race favorites Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA), Jeanne Lehair (LUX), Emma Lombardi (FRA), and Beth Potter (GBR) established a small gap to the chase pack.
But without an organized effort, they were caught, and a large group hit T2 - ready for a fast and furious run.
Off the bat, Beaugrand, Lehair, and Lombardi separated themselves from the field. Lombardi was the first to hit the mat. And throughout the 5k, it looked like Lehair had Beaugrand on the ropes.
But in the final meters, Beaugrand delivered a knockout punch and was able to lift the tape as the home crowd erupted.
Cassandre Beaugrand 🥇
Jeanne Lehair (LUX) 🥈
Leonie Periault (FRA) 🥉
With her win, Beaugrand assumes the driver’s seat in the WTCS standings!
Tempo’s Take
Pre-race, T100 CEO Sam Renouf was quoted as saying the “biggest weekend in triathlon history” would occur on the French Riviera.
Of course, it wasn’t.
But it was a paradigm-shifting weekend for the T100 and World Triathlon as they delivered on last year’s historic 12-year agreement by consolidating their pro races into a weekend of world-class racing.
Plus, the new race weekend “double” brings in a whole new level of intrigue. Who will be the first to podium? Or win both races? We can’t wait to find out.
And, in breaking from a frustrating early-season trend, the T100 race wasn’t overshadowed by another IRONMAN event on the same weekend!
Still, not everything was a victory. The T100 age group race was marred by a delayed start, a butchered bike course, and harsh time cutoffs. Problems that undermined the experience for paying athletes.
If T100 wants to rival IRONMAN and justify its Saudi-fueled valuation, it needs to prove it can deliver not just on broadcast spectacle, but also on the ground for age groupers.
What's most important for you when choosing a race? |
FAVORITES
🏋️ Training as we age: As we age, the way we train changes due to many factors, including changes within our bodies. This video does a great job explaining how training changes in our 40s, 50s, and 60s, and how you can optimize your training at any age! [GTN]
🤸 Core routine: September is here, and that means it’s time to jump back into our routine. And this video explains how, in only a small amount of time, adding core strength to our routine can make us more powerful and injury-resistant! [Valere]
🏃 Mileage myths: Think following the “10 per cent rule” will keep you injury-free? Not exactly! New research has shown it’s not gradual weekly mileage increases that put you most at risk. So how can you build running mileage without risking your racing and training? This article explains! [Canadian Running]
🍓 Berry battle: Blueberries are often touted as one of nature’s “superfoods.” But do they even stack up to the Strawberry? Head-to-head, both berries have their strengths, but as evidenced in this article, only one can take the crown for being the best for you! [Verywell Health]
🤖 CoachGPT: Are you thinking of using AI to help you nail your “A” race? Before going all-in on chat, you might want to read this account of an athlete who used AI to train for an IRONMAN. Was it perfect? Not quite. [AOL]
REEL TIME
Scary scenes at T100 French Riviera as Leo Bergere (FRA) narrowly avoids crashing off a cliff! 😲😲😲
It’s not a recovery ride if my ego can’t recover! 😂
TEMPO TALKS PODCAST
How Do You Train for a Hilly Course When You Don’t Have Hills to Train On?
And will the T100/World Triathlon combined race weekend bring a sea change for the sport?
All this and more in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks Podcast!
Together with The TriDoc, we bring you the biggest stories in Triathlon,
Training tips to make you faster,
And breakdowns of the latest in sports science and performance!
QUICK NEWS
Inspiring athlete: Lydon Longhorne, a Tokyo Paralympian, became the first quadruple amputee to finish an IRONMAN triathlon in under 24 hours! [BBC]
T100 Final: Lusail, Qatar, the host city of the 2022 World Cup final, has now been announced as the venue for the 2025 Qatar T100 Triathlon World Tour final. [Endurance Biz]
Attacked athlete: We are sending our best to the British triathlete who had his jaw broken in a mistaken identity assault while at a Sunderland Pub. [Sunderland Echo]
Boxer’s breakthrough: Boxer Tommy Fury is used to battling his opponents in the ring. But on the triathlon course, he learned about his most formidable opponent, himself! [T100]
Rwandan rise: Rwanda, the host of the upcoming UCI Cycling World Championships, has seen a recent boom of another endurance sport - triathlon! And the growth doesn’t seem to show any sign of stopping. [KT Press]
Admin error: Imagine training incredibly hard for a championship race and travelling all the way to the venue - only to find out you weren’t entered!?!? A Maltese triathlete is dealing with this nightmare scenario. [Sports Desk]
RACE WEEKEND
IRONMAN 70.3 Zell Am See
Kat Matthews (GBR) smashed the field and sent a notice to her Kona competition. While Fabian Kraft (GER) took a strong victory.
European and Asian Triathlon Championships
Max Studer (SUI) and Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) were crowned champions in this unique combined championship event!
LATEST EDITIONS
T100, World Triathlon future at stake. And 10 foods that fight inflammation!
How to avoid race week regret. And protein as fuel?!?
Best-ever IM World Championship start lists revealed!
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